He asked in a deep voice, "What kind of demon cultivates on this island?"
Ao Tong replied, "That, I’m not sure. Among the eighteen Demon Islands of Nandang Swamp, demon cultivators fight each other day and night, and I don’t know how many have exchanged ownership. But any demon cultivator who can hold an island isn’t weak, to say the least."
After he finished speaking, as if sensing he had undermined his own standing, he quickly added, "But naturally, they won’t compare to you, my lord."
Zhang Yan ignored him. With a flick of his fingers, ten talismans appeared at random between them and were hurled forward as he spoke, "Open!"
The ten talismans shot forward like flying shuttles. Upon reaching the dense fog ahead, they exploded simultaneously mid-air, akin to the sudden clap of thunder on level ground. Amid the deafening echoes, much of the filthy mist cloud dissipated, revealing what lay within.
Curiously, despite the commotion, there was no response from the cave mansion. Zhang Yan was somewhat surprised—on all the previous Demon Islands, the demon generals had rushed out long before anyone approached, unlike now, where they remained silent even after their doorstep was assailed.
Such disturbance would naturally alarm the island’s demon lord. However, this demon, aware by daylight of several Demon Islands being eradicated in Nandang Swamp, realized he could not provoke the Mingcang Sect and instead chose to retreat into hiding. Upon further thought, he knew staying here would likely spell disaster, so he dismissed his tribes early on. The demon himself had intended to flee but was unable to abandon a particular object in his cave mansion. Reluctantly, he hadn’t escaped yet, wanting to see it one last time. Had Zhang Yan come tomorrow, he might have found an empty residence.
Now, hearing the successive explosions outside, the demon realized the situation had worsened. Unclear about how many individuals had arrived, the demon resolved to stay hidden within the cave mansion and not come out.
Seeing this, Zhang Yan let out a cold laugh. From his sleeve, he retrieved the Cloud Filling Bowl, infused it with a spell, and flipped it downwards. Instantly, billowing scarlet smoke clouds poured out like floodwaters breaching a dam, surging across the island in all directions. The clouds, though light and billowy like cotton, would turn leaden and oppressive upon contact with flesh. Anyone caught within would feel as if they were submerged at the depths of the ocean, trapped and immobilized, left at the mercy of their opponents.
Recognizing the overwhelming threat, the demon paled and realized escape was impossible. In a flash, a black whirlwind enveloped him, lifting him into the sky. Facing Zhang Yan from afar, the demon snarled, "I, Huang Peng, have cultivated peacefully on this island, never provoking the Mingcang Sect. Why do you wish to kill me? What reason is there for this?"
Zhang Yan raised his head and swept his gaze over the demon. This demon cultivator was dressed in a long robe, resembling a middle-aged scholar rather than the grotesque appearance typical of other demon generals. Judging by his cultivation realm, he was merely in the Xuan Guang First Realm, same as Zhang Yan himself.
Today, Fan Changqing had eradicated six Demon Islands. Though most demons were Xuan Guang Practitioners, for some reason, most of them were ignorant, brutish, and barbaric, unable to even speak coherently.
Encountering someone articulate for a change, Zhang Yan responded, "So, it turns out to be Daoist Huang. I’ve heard of the ancient barbaric times when Heavenly Demons ran rampant, treating us of the Human Clan as ants, consuming us freely. Did they consider right and wrong back then? If not for the Great Divine Power of my Human Clan battling against the Heavenly Demons for millennia—shattering the land and collapsing the Heaven Pillar to gain a chance at survival—we might still be your clan’s blood food to this day. You ask me for a reason? This is the reason!"
With that said, Zhang Yan refrained from further explanation. He pointed his fingers together, and the Star Sword Ball transformed into a streak of blue light, slashing downward with sharp precision.
Huang Peng, witnessing the piercing and ruthless brilliance of the light, turned ghastly pale. Twisting his body, he revealed his true form—an enormous three-zhang-long black eel. With a flash of clear, shimmering mysterious light enveloping his body, he compressed himself and narrowly evaded the attack.
Zhang Yan manipulated the Star Sword Ball to pursue in loops, weaving left and right. Yet Huang Peng’s mysterious light seemed peculiar. Not only was he exceedingly fast, but his ability to dart through cracks in the stone made him extraordinarily slippery. Several instances when he appeared within striking range ended with him narrowly escaping, forcing Zhang Yan to cordon off a specific area to prevent his escape entirely.
Drawing a faint smirk, Zhang Yan extended another hand. A streak of green light flew out, joining the blue light. The two beams, blue and green, interlocked and spiraled down upon Huang Peng, further constraining his movements until his escape routes were entirely sealed.
Seeing no way out, Huang Peng emitted a bizarre screech. He coiled his body tightly, his mysterious light radiating brightly, spinning like a whirling top. He braced himself against the strikes of the Ruyi Divine Shuttle and Star Sword Ball.
Yet an unexpected occurrence transpired. When these vicious attacks encountered his clear, water-like mysterious light, they veered away as if gliding against a slick surface, unable to break through.
Observing this, Zhang Yan let out a surprised "Oh?".
Seizing the brief opportunity, Huang Peng unraveled his body and let out a sharp shriek. With a sudden leap forward, he transformed into a streak of clear light and shot away.
Thinking he had finally escaped, Huang Peng exhausted all his strength in flight. However, after only traveling about ten zhang forward, a blaze of golden fiery light suddenly descended. Before Huang Peng had time to scream, he was engulfed entirely.
The golden and fiery mysterious light twisted and surged, stripping away half of Huang Peng’s flesh in mere moments. At this time, there came a "clang" sound as something fell from within the light.
The golden-red light converged, revealing Zhang Yan’s figure. He raised his hand, releasing the Capturing Jade Talisman to collect a thread of essence blood. Stepping forward two paces, he stooped down and picked up the fallen object, muttering to himself, "What could this be? My Golden Fire Mysterious Light couldn’t damage it either."
Giving the object a squeeze, it felt smooth and resilient to the touch, composed of some unknown substance seemingly neither metal nor fabric. It was weightless in his hand, feather-light. Upon closer inspection, he noticed faint, elusive characters appearing on its surface.
...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian.com to cast your recommendation tickets and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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